CD Review of...
The Calamities
Quinella
By Sharon Chapman
The Calamities, a five-piece alternative country band from Phoenix, Arizona, are a fresh new voice on the music scene. Their debut release, Quinella, is a ten-song CD with lyrical songs that run the gamut from contemplative to rockabilly.
Although The Calamities’ website is a work in progress, their label, Chingön Records, has links to two of the disc’s songs – Ashtabula and Eastbound & Down online at www.chingonrecords.com. These recordings give you a good idea about this band’s range – Ashtabula is full of languid longing, but it’s sadly reflective without being self-pitying. Eastbound & Down, on the other hand, is a down and dirty rocking song that’s just a lot of fun. If you streamline this music, you’ll have a good idea what The Calamities are all about.
Other standout tunes on Quinella include Jerkwater USA, with it’s “no place like home” theme, and Somewhere Down The Line, a catchy and upbeat number about following one’s dreams.
With Quinella’s release, the rest of the country can discover what people in Phoenix have known for a while – The Calamities are rocking out in a way that is sure to catch the attention of all fans of Country and Western music.
The Calamities’ Quinella may be ordered at www.chingonrecords.com